Step-ladder



(No Model. I I W. PEARSON.

STEP LADDER. No. 325,441. Patented Sept. I 1885.

. IINESSES 5 0 u. PETERS. mwum nwr. Walhington. o. c.

1mm Price.

WRIGHT PEARSON, OF JAMESTOWN, NEYV YORK.

STEP-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,4t1, datedSeptember 1, 1885.

A pplica'liou filed June 4, 1885.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WRIGHT Pnanson, of Jamestown, in the county ofOhautauqua 'and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedStep-Ladder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to step ladders; and it has for its object topromote safety and convenience, and economize time in the use of theladders.

The invention consists in certain novel fez:- tures of constrction andcombinations of parts of the ladder, all as hereinafter fully describedand claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar lettersof reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the step-- ladder, shown open as inuse. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the ladder. Fig. 3 is a front view ofthe ladder, and Figs. at to 9 are detail views of parts of the ladder.

The letter Aindicates the step-frarne, which consists of opposite sidebars, a a, and steps a fixed thereto, the head-plate or platform B 2being attached to frame A in the usual or any approved way.

At 0 is shown the back or brace frame, which is hinged at c to the headof step'frame A, and to the frame 0 is hinged, in a recess of its lowercross-bar, c, the back end of the brace-bar D, and preferably by meansof a pin, cl, passed through the eye or strap-loop d of the bar D, theopposite or front end of which bar passes through a slot, a", of one ofthe steps a, and has a pin, E, passed through it above the step topreventwithdrawal of the bar from the step, and. also to limit thespread of the step and brace frames A B at the base of the ladder. (SeeFigs. 1 and 2 The bar D has a series of notches, F, formed in the lowerside of its forward end, into any one of which notches may be turned theend 9 of a button, G, pivoted to the under side of the step, throughwhich the brace-bar passes. (See Figs. 2, 6, and 7.)

The letter H indicates a strong cord, which is secured by a clamp-plate,I, to the face of brace-frame O, and is rove through a pulley, J,journaled on the inner face of one of the [N0 model.)

ladder-bars a, and passes thence upward through apertures in theintervening steps a to and over a pulley, K, which is journaledtransversely in the ladder-bar, and from the pulley K the rope passesoutside of and along the laddenbar, and, as shown, is connected by abolt, L, and its thumb-nut L with the lower stem portion, H, of thehandrail M of the ladder.

The inner end of the bolt L has two collars, Z Z, spaced apartto allowfirm attachment of the end of cord H to the bolt between the collars,and the bolt passes through aslot, m, in the stem M of hand-rail M, andreceives the nut L outside of the rail, so that the rail-stem may beclamped tightly between the bolt-c0llar Z and nut L. (See Fig. 9.)

The upper or main part of hand-rail M is fitted to slide in a mortise,I), made through or at one endof the laddenplatform B, and its stemportion M slides through a keeper, M fixed to the side bar a of thestep-frame.

With this construction it is evident when the brace-frame G is opened orspread from step-frame A, and when the bolt and nut L L are tightened onthe handrail stem M, that the cord H will be drawn upon by frame 0, andthe handrail M will be ,raised from its low and normal positionindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 to the high position shown in inwhich raised position the hand-rail may be taken hold of to supportorsteady the person using the ladder, and then may serve also to supportvarious articles, such as paints or tools, and as hereinafter more fullyexplained.

\Yhen the braceframe 0 again is folded flat against the stcp-frame A tostow away the l ladder, the hand-rail M M will drop down to normalposition byits gravity as the rope H slackens or runs back over thepulleys K J, and until thelowereud of the hand-rail strikes thestopblock M, fixed to the side bar of the ladder, at which time theupper end or we tremity m of the hand-rail will stand level with or alittle below the top of the platform B.

It also is obvious that when the nut L of bolt L is loosened thehand-rail will not be raised when the brace-frame O is spread and pullsout the rope H, as the bolt L then will slide up along the slotm of thehand-rail stem full lines in Fig. 3, and also in Figs. 1 and 2,

M, hence the hand-rail M may be raised or not, as desired and simply bytightening or loosening the bolt and nut L L.

By fastening the bolt and nut L L at different places in the slot m ofthe hand-rail stem M the hand-rail will be raised more or less, as thebrace-frame G is drawn out to its full extent.

I fasten a suitable keeper, N, to the side bar a over the pulley J, saidkeeper guiding the rope H to and from the pulley, and also serving as aninner bearing to the bolt 3', on which pulley J is journaled.

The clamp-plate I, which holds the rope H to the brace-frame G, has ahalf-round recess, 1', provided with teeth or serrations which bite therope resting in said recess and hold it firmly to the frame, and theplate I is fastened to the frame by screws 1, allowing the plate to beloosened for drawing the rope H through it for taking up any unnecessaryslackness of the rope at any time required, and by this means, also, theheight to which the hand-rail M is raised may be regulated.

As shown clearly in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, the head portion of the handrailor the hand-rail proper has formed in it a centrallongitudinally-ranging slot, 0, and above the slot the rail M isrecessed at the inner face, as at 0, and in this recess is held by aheaded screw, P, the arm or hook R, the screw passing through anelongated slot or eye, R, of the arm. The thickness of the arm R- attheback end of the slot R is greater than at the other end of said slot,raised shoulders or faces 1* thus being formed, against which faces thehead of screw P bears snugly, so that when the arm R hangs down withinthe slot 0 from the screw P, as in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and which isthe normal position of the arm when it is not in use, the screwhead willhold the arm against swinging sidewise beyond the opposite side faces ofthe hand-rail, so that the arm will not catch on the platform B as thehand-rail moves up and down through the platform-slot b.

WVhen it is desired to extend the arm R from the hand-rail in positionto support a paintvessel or tool-box by its end hook, S, as indicated inFig. 1, the hanging arm will be raised on the screw P until the lowshoulders or faces 0" next the forward end of the slot R will standbeneath orinside of the screw-head, and the arm then may be swung uppast the side piece, 0, of the hand-rail until it can be set into anotch or recess, T, in the face of the rail, and the arm will then bedrawn outward until the high shoulders or faces 1' rest under or insideof the head of screw P, which prevents the slipping of the arm R fromthe notch T. (See Figs. 1, 4, and 5.) The inner face of the side piece,0', of the hand-rail preferably is chamfered or beveled, as at 0 Figs. 4and 5, to allow thearm R to be swung upward and'downward more easily toand from the slot T; but the arm may be made of spring metal, so as tobend and not require the beveling of the rail at 0 It is evident thatthe hand rail, whether raised or lowered, may be taken hold of forsafety by a person ascending the ladder, and that when the hand-rail israised it will serve to steady a person standing on top of the ladder,and a water, paint, or calsomine vessel, U, or a tool-box, may besuspended from the extended hook-arm B, so as to facilitate the cleaningof windows or paints, or the refinishing of walls or ceilings, or theadjustment or oiling of shafting in factories, or, in fact, for anyoverhead work, which thus may be performed with greater safety and inless time.

With short ladders the stem M of the handrail will be dispensed with,and the rope H will be connected directly with the foot of the main partM of the hand-rail, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A ladder comprising a step-frame, A B, a brace-frame, O, pivotedthereto, a handrail guided at the side of the step-frame, and a rope, H.between the frame 0 and handrail, substantially as described, wherebywhen the brace-frame O is spread the handrail will be raised, as hereinset forth.

2. A ladder comprising a step -frame, A B, a braceframe, O, pivotedthereto, a handrail supported in guides on the step-frame, and a rope,H, or its equivalent, connected to the frame 0, and connected also tothe hand-rail by an adjustable device, substantially as described,whereby the hand-rail may be raised or not at will as the brace-frame isspread, as herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a ladder, of the step frame A B, brace frame 0,hand rail M, guided on the step-frame, rope H, pulleys J K, and bolt andnut L L, substantially as herein set forth.

ICU

4. The combination, With the step-ladder I said hand-rail andbrace-frame, substantially v as herein set forth.

5. A ladder constructed with a handrail, M, provided with a slot, 0 0, aface-notch, T, and a hook-arm, R, supported on a pin, so as to hangnormally within the slot 0 and adapted to be swung into the notch T,substantially as herein set forth.

6. The combination, with the ladder handrail, slotted at O 0, and theheaded screw or pin P, of the hook-arm R, having an elongated slot, R,and high and low faces, 1" r, at the slot, substantially as herein setforth.

Witnesses: WRIGHT PEARSON.

OYRIL B. WALKER, WILLIAM SMITH.

